Seventy-six percent (115) responded that they changed their attire during COVID-19, 54% to hospital scrubs, and 22% to private scrubs. ![]() The population surveyed consisted of 151 doctors across all specialities and grades. Furthermore, traditional professional attire is no longer unanimously expected from patients, instead of being replaced with a single feature: daily laundered clothing. Additionally, when informed of the potential risks associated with certain types of attire, patients were willing to change their preferences. As PPE became synonymous with patient interaction, healthcare workers have become hyperaware of the role of apparel when protecting oneself and one’s surroundings from infections.Īlthough patients might prefer professional attire, this preference is unlikely to affect patients’ level of comfort, satisfaction or trust in the doctors’ abilities. With the introduction of COVID-19 to the clinical setting, ordinary clinical tasks suddenly required an increased amount of personal protective equipment (PPE). However, these other clinical staff, alongside most doctors in Irish hospitals, are required to launder their hospital attire at home. Other allied healthcare professionals, such as staff nurses, healthcare assistants, physiotherapists and occupational therapists are provided separate uniforms. Historically, professional attire has been the standard for most Irish hospital doctors, based on the assumptions that patients prefer such attire, while scrubs have only been provided to doctors working in the theatre setting, intensive care or in the emergency department. It is also difficult to ensure that doctors do in fact launder their attire daily. Additionally, home laundering is ultimately inferior to commercial processing - along with posing the risk of cross-contamination, with significantly higher bacteria counts being isolated from home-laundered scrubs compared to hospital-laundered scrubs. ĭoctors are not given sufficient information on how to launder hospital attire adequately at home. Thus, during COVID-19, doctors raised concerns around bringing hospital attires home to launder, the availability of clean scrubs, and changing and shower facilities. ![]() It is well-established that healthcare workers’ attire is contaminated with bacteria, and that it can act as vectors for transmission of microorganisms that cause infections and illnesses in healthcare workers, patients, and the community. For women, a blouse, skirt with tights or possibly smart pants and shoes with a small heel, or a smart dress with a blazer or a suit. In particular, a soar in the usage of scrubs, and a general shift away from professional attire, which can be defined as follows: for men, a shirt with or without a tie and jacket, trousers and dress shoes. The debate on current doctors’ attire in Irish hospitals resurfaced alongside COVID-19, as a shift in doctors’ attire was observed.
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